lacking motivation.......what works for you?

i'm having a really hard time getting motivated to eat right these days. does anyone have any suggestions of how to get in the "mindset" to eat healthy and be disciplined? thanks for any advice/suggestions you can give -

I am trying to think what really got me motivated to start eating better. I would like to say that I was just tired of being fat, but that wasn't really it. I think that the first thing that helped me was working out. I use to work out all of the time but started dating my now husband and .....whoomp...I'm fat! Now that I've gotten into working out again, I realized how much I missed it. I think once you start working out, your thinking changes. When you work out, you are trying to improve your level of fitness, your health or lose weight. You are trying to improve yourself and I think it sorta migrates over to your eating habits. Work out consistently and I think you will be forced to evaluate your eating habits, especially if you are not getting the results that you feel you should be.

Another thing that I do is visualize how much better I will look when I get to my goal. I just want to be the weight on my drivers license. I haven't changed it since I was 18.

U2girl....very good advice. When my motivation drops I try to take a long hard walk. it really does clear a peron's mind. And...if I walk long and fast enough it raelly gets those endorphins going....love that feeling!
Libby

For me its Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee is my physical role model So when I eat I think 'what would bruce lee eat?' and I choose something better to eat....or when Im exercising and I get tired and want to stop I think 'bruce lee wouldnt stop now' and I keep going

you guys are great! i like all the ideas so far - i think i can combine them together.... my problem seems to be that i get really inspired at one moment and then several hours later i lose all sight of my goals. so frustrating!

When I start losing my motivation, I go shopping. All I have to do is go to a store where they have multiple mirrors in the dressing rooms and watch myself try stuff on. Geez, you can see every angle of your body in those stupid mirrors. If THAT doesn't get me motivated, nothing will!

Of course, a visit to this board always helps, too!!!

------------------
"If there are no [mastiffs] in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."

1) I wear tight clothes so I'll feel more self-conscious, more uncomfortable, and that makes me less willing to eat junk and more willing to workout.

2) I look at the invoice of any exercise equipment I bought. Seeing the dollar amounts and thinking of how long it took me to save that money helps get my butt off the couch.

3) Thinking of how expensive health care is these days and how much I hate hospitals. If I take better care of myself, I'm less likely to end up in a hospital when I get older and less likely to have to pay those ridiculous bills.

4) Watching infommercials. Seeing the bodybuilders and athletes they hire makes me feel lousy cause I don't look like that. It's a stupid reason to work out, but it does the trick. During my morning cardio, I watch the infommercials so that I won't quit.

5) Looking at myself in the mirror as often as I can. The more I see my problem area, the more I think about them. And the more I think about them, the more motivated I become to work on them.

6) A recent addition is penalizing myself anytime I eat something I shouldn't have by taking a dollar out of my wallet and setting it aside. I just pretend like it's gone for good. And periodically, I'll look at the pile and the more money is there, the more I'll hate myself for eating junk, and the more motivated I'll be to keep that pot from growing.

My biggest motivator (and I'm afraid I will have to do it again this weekend) was having hubby take some pictures of me in a bathing suit. Now, I thought I looked just fine until I saw the picures from behind. OMG!!! When did THAT happen??

I'm like the rest of you. I am currently 5'2", and 211 lbs. I recently saw some pics of myself, and was so ashamed. Then, last week, I was asked to play softball!! Well, I ended up playing, and they had me playing in the outfield. When I would kinda jog out there, I could just feel all my flab bouncing around, and was soooooo embarassed!! So, now, every time I start to slack off and get lazy, I think of that night on the softball field, and it keeps me going!!!